Pier and raft construction



Oct. 13,1964 A. D. MAYER 3,152,568

PIER AND RAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 10, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALEX D. MAYER ATTORNEY Oct. 13, 1964 A. D. MAYER 3,152,568

v PIER AND RAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 10, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 45 45 ALEX D. MAYER AT TORN E Y Oct. 13, 1964 A. D. MAYER 3,152,568

PIER AND RAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 10, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGJQ r O w F H INVENTOR ALEX D. MAYER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,152,568 PIER AND RAFT CONSTRUCTION Alex D. Mayer, Pit Lake Farms, 13233 N. Oriole Lane 20 W., Mequon, Wis. Filed Oct. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 229,551 v1 Claim. 01. 114-.s

This invention relates to ,pier and raft construction, and more particularly to an assembly of a plurality of buoyant units for the construction of piers, rafts and docks.

A principal object of this invention is to provide structure for interlocking a plurality of individual buoyant units, and to provide a surface of any shape or size to float on the surface of the water.

Another object is to provide structure for hingedly connecting such interlocking buoyant units to a shore point, or to anchor such units, as desired.

Still another object is to construction the buoyant units in interlocking engagement, and to provide a locking structure whereby they can be connected by slidably fitting one unit to the other for rigidity.

A further object is to construct the units in a manner to eliminate wear, or the hazard of skidding when in use.

The device illustrated, described and claimed herein consists of a plurality of interlocked buoyant rectangular shaped sections or units arranged for slidable engagement with one another to form afloating platform of any desired shapeor area, and structure for hingedly connecting such interlocked units to the shore, or anchored in a manner to take up the movement of the Wave action.

Other and further objects of this invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View showing units according to the present invention connected as a floating deck surface, and hingedly attached to a shore unit adjacent to the waters edge;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a floating pier consisting of buoyant units constructed according to the invention, and detachably connected, such pier being shown anchored at its ends;

FIG. 3 is a plan or top view of a floating pier, and the manner in which the same may be secured to a shore point;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing the pier unit of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation view showing the manner of construction of a shore unit for hingedly connecting the same to an adjacent unit;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of same;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the manner in which a plurality of floating units are slidably engaged with each other to form a floating dock area of varied shape;

FIGS. 8 to 21 illustrate a number of modified structures for securing the floating units to each other;

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary end view of a number of superimposed units as seen in FIGS. 20 and 21, showing how the same may be connected when additional buoyancy is required;

FIG. 23 is a similar view showing how the units seen in FIGS. 16 and 17 may be superimposed and connected for providing additional buoyancy;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing details of the unit shown in FIG. 21; and

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing details of the unit complementary to the unit seen in FIG. 21.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral 30 designates a block of buoyant material, such as cork, foam plastic or the like, which may be encased between thin sheets of metal or plastic sheet material, which may be perforated as seen at 31 in FIG. 3, or corrugated or embossed into a non-ski design as seen at 32. The

blocks 30 may be of any thickness, depending on the degree of buoyancy desired.

The ends and sides of the block 30 are encased in a frame 33 providing structure for interlocking the buoyant blocks 30 into a floating raft or pier as seen in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive. Reference numeral 33 is intended to denote generically structure for such interlocking, and by reference to the several detail views, difference in details of such interlocking structure will be noted.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the frame 33 includes interlocking flange elements 34 parallel to and spaced from the ends and sides of contiguous block sections 30 and arranged to interlock as seen in FIG. 9.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, the frames 33 terminate in locking channels 35 which cooperate with a locking member 36 essentially C-shaped in cross section and adapted to move into sliding engagement with the locking channels 35 to lock the sections 30 together as seen in FIG. 10.

In FIGS. 12 and 13 one frame 33 is equipped with locking tangs 37 extending parallel to the ends and sides of such frame 33, and the frame 33 of a contiguous section is provided with-complementary locking tangs 38 for slidable engagement with one another as seen in FIG. 12. 'In FIGS. 14 and 15 one frame member has locking channels 39 cooperating with locking channels 40 reversed in direction with respect to channels 39 for engagement withone another as shown in FIG. 14.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show locking flanges 41 extending parallel to the ends and sides of the block section 30, and locking flanges 41 are held in engagement with each other by a locking member 42 having spaced arms 42A adapted to engage the locking flanges 41 and hold the same in abutting relationship.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show the edges of the frames 33 being provided with locking members 43 which are essentially C-shaped in cross section. The locking members 43 cooperate with the same type of locking member 42 seen in FIGS. 16 and 17.

In FIGS. 20 and 21 one contiguous block section 30 is provided with a locking member 44 essentially C-shaped in cross section, and a complementary locking member 45 is secured to the contiguous block section 30.

If desired, a plurality of blocks 30 may be assembled one above the other for additional buoyancy .as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23. In FIG. 22 the frames 33 of each block section 30 are provided with locking members 45 similar to the one shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, and all the blocks 30 are held in engagement with one another by a slidable locking member 46 which engages the top and bottommost of the locking members 45.

In FIG. 23 the frames 33 of block sections 30 are provided with locking flanges 41 similar to the locking flanges 41 shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. These are held in engagement with one another by a slidable insert 47 which looks together the remote contiguous flanges of the side by side block sections 30.

When the entire pier consisting of the assembled blocks 30 is to be anchored to the shore seen in FIG. 1, one of the block sections 30, see FIGS. 3 and 4, has the frame 33 thereof equipped along one of its edges with a hinge member 50, and an anchor block 51 has a similar hinge member 52 attached to its frame 33, the two contiguous hinge members 50 and 52 being secured together by a hinge pin 49 passing through apertures 53 in hinge members 50 and 52, see also FIGS. 5 and 6, to take care of the rise and fall of the entire device by reason of the water level.

Shore anchor section 51, see FIGS. 3 and 4, can be held in place by means of an irnbedded anchor member 55 through which the hinge pin 49 passes.

In FIG. 2, the block units 30 are interconnected to provide a diving platform anchored by cables 56 and weights 57 resting on the bottom of the body of water.

It may be noted that the block sections 30 may be interlocked to form a floating pier of any length or width as desired. If the sections are joined by separable locking members such as are seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, 16 and 17 and 18 and 19, the sections are merely brought into abutting relationship and the separable locking means slid into place as has been described.

If the sections are joined by integral locking members as seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, 12 and 13, 14 and 15, and 20 and 21, a row of sections may first be joined by moving the block sections 30 with respect to each other along their contiguous edges to provide a locking connection. If, however, a double row or more rows are to be connected to a first row of sections, such subsequently to be connected row must first be connected as a row and then such row joined to the first row by sliding such row into engagement with the first row.

The above description, it is thought, clearly defines the purpose of this invention, namely a plurality of buoyant blocks or units slidably engaged with one another to form a pier or platform of any pre-determined area, and having a hinge arrangement to permit vertical raising and lowering of the assembled surface when one end thereof is anchored to the shore-line.

Although I have shown a specific arrangement for accomplishing my purpose, I am fully cognizant of the fact that many changes in the shape and contour and configuration of the parts may be made without effecting their performance and efliciency, and I reserve the right to make such changes without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States, is:

I claim:

A floating dock adapted to be assembled from a plurality of identical rectangular floating sections, each of said sections being enclosed by a frame having locking means integral with said frame and extending therealong for locking engagement with a contiguous floating section, each of said locking means comprising a flange element extending parallel to such frame and spaced from said frame and the side of said floating element by a distance at least equal to the thickness of said flange element, said flange element having a width substantially equal to but less than the thickness of said floating section, a first floating section of said floating dock having the flange elements thereof extending downward, and the floating sections contiguous to said first floating section having the identical flange elements thereof extending upward, the flange elements of said first floating section and said contiguous floating sections being thereby in locking engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

